Union Railway Car Barn
Why it's listed
Built in 1869 by the Union Railway Company, this brick building at 613-621 Cambridge Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was part of a complex of carbarns that housed the company's horse cars near Lambert Street. The railway was founded in 1855 to provide horse car service across the city, with cars running along Cambridge Street by 1856 and half-hourly service from Harvard Square to Boston by 1875. The building is designed in a late Greek Revival manner, with a low-pitched gabled roof and an unusual stepped brick cornice ending in shallow brick piers. A large round-arched window set within a recessed brick arch forms the focus of the facade. The company's other carbarns, on Mt. Auburn Street and Massachusetts Avenue, were drastically remodeled or demolished, which makes this one an unusual survivor. A storefront has altered the first floor, yet the building is relatively intact and now serves commercial uses.
Significance in brief: The barn is one of the few surviving carbarns of the Union Railway, whose other barns on Mt. Auburn Street and Massachusetts Avenue were drastically remodeled or demolished. It remains relatively intact despite a later storefront and represents an important phase of Cambridge's transportation history. The reviewer also noted its significance as part of the city's development and the role transportation played in it.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001980, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 613-621 Cambridge St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001980 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is commercial; the first floor facade has been altered by a storefront, but the building remains relatively intact. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.37213, -71.08652 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001980.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7885988
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.